A strong earthquake struck coastal Ecuador on Saturday, killing at the very least 4 individuals, in accordance with a authorities assertion.

The quake hit at a depth of about 66 kilometers and had a magnitude of 6.8, the US Geological Survey stated on its web site. The Ecuadorian authorities put the magnitude at 6.5. Local information experiences say there was harm to quite a few buildings and houses within the Guayas area.

One individual died when a constructing collapsed on their automotive within the city of Cuenca, whereas three extra had been killed within the areas of Santa Rosa, about 530 km (329 miles) southwest of Quito. Various others are trapped below the rubble, the federal government added.

The Esmeraldas oil pipeline to the capital Quito was quickly suspended, nevertheless it now working once more, whereas employees had been evacuated as a precaution from a coastal liquefied pure fuel plant and two terminals. There are additionally blackouts in some areas.

Ecuador is on the so-called ring of fireside across the Pacific and is the common website of earthquakes. The most dangerous current quake was in 2016, when over 600 individuals died.

Social media postings confirmed a collapsed constructing within the coastal city of Machala, in accordance with a video on Twitter.

Another constructing was broken additional inland within the metropolis of Cuenca, the place a part of the facade fell onto a automotive.